


All Along the Watchtower

by Gwynposting



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Plot, Smut, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:00:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28553526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwynposting/pseuds/Gwynposting
Summary: With the ghost of Night City long behind her, V must now come to grips with the information she learned in Mikoshi. Luckily, she has Judy and the rest of the Aldecaldos to help carry that burden.
Relationships: Judy Alvarez/Female V
Comments: 14
Kudos: 196





	1. Chapter 1

Silence hung over the camp, draped upon the nomads like dewed grass on a summer morning - naught but the gentle sound of air rustling through the bushes disturbed the encampment. The merry sounds of laughter and companionship drifting ever so slowly over the evening, fading away as one by one the members of the Aldecados said their farewells and returned to the seclusion of their tents.

V stood on the porch to her makeshift abode, leaning against a metal railing that had seen far too many summers, slowly weathered down through corrosive sandstorms. She felt the cold metal of a small container in her hands, running her fingers along the ornaments that adorned it. V gave a practiced flick, unlatching the cigarette case and allowing it to unfold. A few of Evelyn’s original cigarettes still remained. On more than one occasion, V had eyed those nicotine sticks, overwhelmed with the stresses of Night City that seemed to perpetually weigh down on her. Though, she wasn’t sure if that was her or Johnny that constantly itched for their chemical release. But she always felt like she couldn’t disturb them, in a way. Whether it was for hers or Judy’s sake, she didn’t really know. She would only pass Judy along the occasional smoke when she asked. 

The creaking whine of buckling metal sheets prodded the gentle serenity of the cloudless night awake. V need not even turn her head before a knowing warmth crept about her waist, pulling her close, allowing her entire backside to be pulled into Judy’s caress. The sudden heat of Judy’s breath passing along her ear and neck sent a wave of ease through V. The muscles she had not even realized were taught began to slacken and the pestering thoughts that clouded her mind cleared. 

Neither of the pair were quite sure how long they stood there, nor did they care. They were both free,  _ truly _ free. Free of the accursed city that had claimed so many of their loved ones, the corruption and greed and hatred consuming them all. For the first time, they felt complete. 

Judy’s voice, dancing soft whispers against V’s ears, sent shivers to her core, “I still never get used to how different the sky is all the way out here.” V followed Judy’s gaze upwards to the night sky. 

“Looking up at it, I just get the overwhelming feeling to lie on our roof and get lost in the cosmos with you in my arms, wasting our nights away,” V mused, nuzzling her cheek against Judy’s. 

“Makin’ up for lost time eh?” Judy joked.

“Something like that,” V muttered back, a smile across her lips. “It still blows my mind that something this amazing has eluded me my entire life.”

“Didja not get much starlight before you dove into Night City?” Judy questioned.

“Nah,” V replied, “the light pollution from NC was too intense, even out where the Nomads set up. Best we could see were the major stars and constellations,” she paused, “on a clear day, at least.” 

“Makes me feel special,” Judy floated back, “to experience it all. Together.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” V replied. 

The pair stood by each others’ sides, pointing out particularly pretty stars or interesting shapes in the night sky. Each sparkling speck was given its own little personality and ecosystem, and they giggled and laughed at all the crazy alternate worlds that could possibly exist out there in the vast expanse of space. 

“Hey, you see that big cluster of stuff right there?” V pointed to a particularly dense region of what she assumed were stars, “what do you think their story is?”

But her only response was the telltale slump of a Judy succumbing to the vestiges of exhaustion. Judy gingerly tugged the material of V’s long sleeve shirt, a silent request that V met. “Of course, hun,” V met Judy’s drooped eyes, half lidded, half clinging to the presence of her partner. Without another word, V placed a hand upon Judy’s back, and one in the cradle of her knees, scooping her up in a careful embrace. Judy’s fingers found purchase in V’s shirt, not so much for support, but to just feel  _ more _ of this overwhelming being that she was blessed to have in her life.

Just as easily as she’d been picked up, Judy was placed down in bed. Each moment’s pass, Judy could feel the sleep take root, with every breath she felt herself sink lower and lower into comforting sleep, the soothing gaze of V’s eyes the only thing keeping her afloat. She looked up expectantly as V slid in beside her, bringing up their blankets to enclose them both. Judy could feel her guards slipping once more, overridden by the warmth of V’s presence. 

“I…” she felt herself hesitating for the first time that night. Something caught her breath, her chest refused to give life to the words that wrestled within her heart. But before she could resolve the tension, V silenced her with pillowy lips, “Goodnight, Judy.”

***

Vulnerability, trust.

It was difficult to get used to the feeling again after everything fell apart the first time. To be trusted, to trust. To open yourself up to someone and have them share every piece of themselves with you. A piece of V died that day, when the Arasoka tower job fell through. She had never realized how much she had needed that closeness, how much she had missed it, until she began falling for Judy. The relic gave her a good distraction to ignore the incessant despair and loneliness. Every day she would wake up in one of the most populous cities on earth yet experience such soul-crushing isolation. It gave her a task to do, it was a matter of life and death. Nothing else mattered besides tracking down Hellman, or Hanako, or Evelyn. But her time with Judy cracked that facade. 

And in her time in the Badlands helping the Aldecados, she couldn’t help feel jealous at times. The gnawing vice of self-doubt and isolation constantly weighed on her when she saw their family, albeit dysfunctional at times, together. Every night she would go to sleep questioning her own decision to leave her tribe, beaten back by the guilt of ‘losing’ the loved ones she’s made in Night City had she never made the journey.

Even now, as Judy lay next to her, wrapped up in her arms, she couldn’t help the fleeting thoughts that pinged the back of her head - someone close to you meant vulnerability, someone the bastards can take from you, or get to you through, someone for you to lose once more. It was a viscous feeling to wrestle with - live a miserable life of isolation yet remain safe from traumatic loss? Or open yourself to someone dear to you, but risk losing everything once more and fall even further into the black pit of despair that Night City lays out before you. Or even worse, lose yourself and leave  _ them _ behind to suffer that miserable fate. 

But even still, the thoughts were just that, fleeting. She did not care to entertain the thought of living life on the road without Judy, or anyone for that matter. She considered herself the luckiest person in Night City that she happened to be paired with Jackie Welles that fateful job, and now she considered herself infinitely more so now that she felt like she had a true family again, even if it meant dealing with Deshawn and Arasaka in the process. The loss of good people like Jackie, Saul, or Evelyn weighed down heavily upon V, but the lucky part about family is that they’re always going to be there to help share the burden. 

V carefully ran each finger of her lover through her own. If she were still, V could detect the faint beat of Judy’s heart pumping blood to her finger tip, the rhythmic thump like a faint echo. 

“I wish we could stay like this all day,” Judy called out softly, her voice laced with the gravely undertones of a night-owl caught in the morning. 

V brought her lips against the bare shoulder before her, lingering, not wanting to break contact. “Hope I didn’t disturb your beauty sleep,” she said with similar exhaustion. 

“Oh no, I’m a beut 24/7,” Judy instead took V’s hand in hers, bringing them to her lips and placing a kiss upon them. 

“Oh yeah?” V’s lips curled up into a smile, “must explain why I can’t keep my hands off you.” 

Judy lifted V’s arm up, just enough to allow her to maneuver, before flipping over to face V. Once again, she was caught off guard by her beauty, and it sent butterflies through her core merely gazing up into the half-lidded eyes of her lover. The feeling amplified as V brought a hand to her forehead, brushing aside the bedtime mess of a hairdo behind her ear. 

“Y’know,” Judy began, “a little birdy told me it’s someone’s birthday.”

V rose an inquisitive eyebrow, “Oh yeah? And who’s that.” 

Judy looked up at her with innocent eyes, “Oh, Misty and I have been talking lately~”

“Misty eh, she knows how much I don’t like to celebrate it. You haven’t been getting any ideas in that pretty head of yours have you?”

Judy looked off to the side, a cheeky grin on her face, “before I say anything else, I’d like to formally implicate Panam as well.” 

“Tsk tsk, already placing blame. What am I going to do with you,” V said, climbing on top of Judy, pinning her arms to either side. Her hair fell gracefully over her face.

“Do what you must,” Judy said in a dramatic voice, “I have already won.”

“Later,” V closed the distance and placed a tender kiss on Judy’s lips, “let’s go and grab some breakfast mm?” 

“Aww, you’re no fun,” Judy whined. 

“I said later, not never,” V smirked, “c’mon.” 

***

A dry heat radiated out from the fire pit, a bastion of warmth pushing against the encroaching cool of the desert evening. The mood was quiet, disturbed only by the crackling of wood and the melodious strings of the guitar. The familiar weight of Judy’s head rested upon V’s shoulders. Judy closed her eyes and listened closely, her ear pressed against V’s skin, to feel the soothing rumble of V’s hummed melody. Together they swayed, it had been a perfect day for V, a day with family. 

She saw Panam get up and move next to her, a glowing smile upon her face. “Now I know you don’t like doing stuff for your birthday, but we all wanted to give you something. As thanks for being such an important part of our family.” 

“Ah jeez, I don’t know what to say,” V replied with a nervous chuckle. 

“It was Judy’s idea, I just sort-of ran with it.” Panam smirked.

“Sounds about right,” V chuckled. 

Panam reached back into her pocket and pulled out a small shard, thrusting it forward. 

“What’s this?” V questioned, reaching out and taking it.

“You’ll see,” Panam replied. 

V placed the chip in her slot and the files began uploading. 

She felt Judy take her right hand in hers. The chip displayed an image - no, a video. Viktor. Working in his shop. 

“Hey V!” his familiar voice filled her ears, as if she were standing right there next to him. “How’s life out there in the desert? You gettin’ some sun, some fresh air in those lungs? Don’t forget to get yourself a checkup every once and a while. Any dust or dirt gets under that insulation, you’re done. ‘Course, decent ripper’s harder to find out there than a four-star hotel. So actually - how ‘bout you just stop by when you’re back in the city, hm? Think I could swing a little discount for an old regular like you… ‘Till next time V.”

V hadn’t realized until after his message came to a close that she was already bawling - tears streaming down her face, clutching Judy’s hand tightly. God, she had missed Viktor. He had been there for her every single step of the way, through all the good but especially all the bad. She chuckled through shaky breath, that’s just the kind of message bashful ol’ Vik would send too. 

But soon after the message closed, another appeared. It was Mama Welles. Then after her, Mitch, then Judy, then Misty. All people who had been so influential in her struggles through Night City. As Misty’s message, proclaiming a wonderful life ahead, came to a close, V was a complete mess. Her friends held her close, Panam leaning on her left shoulder and Judy her right. They gave her time to work through all the complex emotions she was going through. “I’m so lucky,” she stuttered through her breaths, “to have all of you.”

“Nah V,” came Judy’s smooth voice, “we’re lucky to have  _ you _ .” She kissed V’s cheek and whispered, “Happy birthday babe.” 

“Thanks, Judy. Thanks Panam, just…” she paused, “thank you every single one of you,” she looked around the bonfire circle at the other Aldecados. 

And there Judy and V sat, letting the bonfire slowly wane over the hour as the others slowly began to return to their tents for a night’s sleep. Not a word was said, they didn’t need to. It wasn’t until the dying light of the fire dwindled to gentle cinders in ash did V finally break the silence, “I couldn’t have asked for a better gift.”

“I know,” Judy replied, “nothing better than family.” She allowed the silence to linger, “Though, I did have one more thing. From me to you.” 

“Judy,” V whined, “you’ve already done so much for me today, you really didn’t need to.”

“Hush now,” Judy shushed, removing herself from V’s shoulder and standing up, holding V’s hand. “Come with me.”

V stood, her legs aching from inaction, and followed Judy’s lead back to their room. It was dimly lit, with colorful mood lights giving her eyes a gentle embrace. V knew where this was going, “Don’t remember seeing a bow wrapped around you.” 

Judy let out a little chuckle, “Pssh. Later.” She pointed to the bed, “Sit, I got something for you.” 

V obediently did as she was told, taking off her boots and tossing them to the side, getting comfortable. “You know how in my message, just then, I was talking about how I’m bad talking about my feelings?” 

“Yeah..” V said.

“Well, after I recorded that, I came up with something that maybe can help you understand. It seems so obvious lookin’ back.”

V tilted her head in curiosity, before Judy pulled out the braindance headset. Then, it clicked.

“I uh, went and scrolled something for you. I went through to make sure nothing went wrong with the recording, but I didn’t edit anything. So, what’s in there is what’s in here,” she poked at her chest. 

“Judy… I don’t know what to say,” V said.

“Heh. Apparently neither did I, which is why I wanted to do this.” Judy sat herself besides V and handed her the headset. “I’ll be here the entire time, if you want to do this.” 

“Of course, Judy. This means so much to me.” V put the headset on and leaned back on the mattress as Judy looked over her. When she looked up at Judy, she noticed some of the classic tells she gave off when she was nervous - her bottom lip caught between her teeth, the rhythmic tap of her foot, a hand continuously sweeping through her hair. V outstretched a hand to Judy, who readily took it in her own. 

V started up the BD, and instantly the lights began their sequence, whisking her away.

She was a bit disoriented, but she felt something very familiar to what she had before. She was in bed, warmth clutching her, surrounding her. She felt the light tickle of breath against the nape of her neck. But it ran deeper than that, it was more than physical. She  _ felt _ things, familiar, but different. She felt… free. Safe.  _ Loved. _ Like she would be protected from every problem in the world, as if she had finally escaped the tangled and matted web that controlled her for so long. And then she turned around.

And she saw V, and her heart fluttered. Her breath hitched, her pulse quickened. She caught the bottom of her lip between her teeth. It was as if she fell in love again each time she looked upon V’s face,  _ her _ face. She felt a thousand different emotions at once, part of her wanted to jump V’s bones, and the other simply wanted to gaze upon her striking features for hours.

This moment was perfect.  _ She _ was perfect, and she didn’t want to ever let go. 

And then, it was over. V felt herself come out of the trance. She was back in her own shoes, a bit disoriented. Judy was looking down upon her, nervous as ever, grasping her hand. 

V removed the headset and surged forward, embracing Judy in a passionate kiss. 

“I love you,” Judy whispered, a pleading request.

“I fucking love you too,” V replied, taking Judy once more. Judy was hers, and she was Judy’s. Their lips were like fire, emblazoned with passion. Each kiss along each others’ lips and jaw leaving smouldering marks of love. They breathed and moaned out as they found purchase upon one another as hands began to roam across each others’ bodies. Nothing could fulfill the desire each other felt, so they grasped and clutched for more and  _ more _ . 

Without breaking their kiss, V scooped Judy up and placed her down on the bed, straddling her. Judy instantly wrapped her legs around V and brought her close. V leaned in and found the crook of Judy’s neck. Judy moaned out and held V there, urging her to never let go. But V had other plans, unclasping the straps over Judy’s favorite suspenders and rolling them off. Then followed her shirt straps, slowly unfurling until Judy’s chest lay bare, her excitement visible. Judy looked up to V, pleading with her eyes. 

“God,” V muttered under her breath, “you’re so fucking hot.” 

Judy’s flustered smile turned into a gasp as V took a nipple in her mouth, her fingers capturing the other. Judy shot a hand through V’s hair, more as a handhold than a guiding hand. V would be taking the reins for now, and Judy would be putty in her hands. Each soft mewling and gasp for air sent electricity through V’s core. She wanted more.

Every inch she descended down brought more sounds prowling out of Judy. As she reached the end of Judy’s expanse, where skin met clothing once more, she looked up to Judy. She was going to get her way.

She was met with a wordless request for more - Judy’s face was lined with desperation. But V wanted to hear how much she needed it, how much she wanted to be taken then and there. A wordless response was given to a silent request, as V looked up with a knowing smirk and raised eyebrow. 

“Please,” was all Judy could muster, drawn out with longing.

“We both know you can do better than that, babe.” 

“God V, fucking please.” Judy cried out as V teased a passing hand over her crotch. 

“Good girl,” V cooed. She carefully unfurled Judy’s overalls, bit by bit exposing Judy’s tender skin to the air, revealing goosebumps. 

V lazily placed kisses along each inch of skin. As she reached Judy’s pelvis, she began to feel the excitement and needy response as Judy began to push into V to get more than V’s oh-so-gentle contact. But V saw it fit to torture the poor women. 

V had to hold herself back from going straight for Judy’s sex. As much as she wanted it, right now she wanted to see Judy become unraveled under her, to watch her become needy and desperate for release. Instead, V began to work around Judy’s inner thighs, oh so cheekily dancing around the throbbing wetness. The eruption of eager moans were music to her ears as she continued. But she didn’t stop there, V began to move away and travel further down.

“Nooo,” Judy whimpered, reaching out after V’s descending head, finding nothing. 

“Oh?” V cooed with a knowing smile, “is there something you needed?”

“Fuck, V,” Judy vented.

“Well yes, that’s the idea.”

“ _ Please _ ,” Judy responded more forcefully than the last time, “I need this. Please.” 

“Now how can I say no to that,” V quickly returned back and began rolling down Judy’s pair of cotton panties, no longer wanting to waste any more time on teasing or foreplay. With them finally loose and discarded, V placed a loving kiss at the sole of Judy’s feet before returning. 

V brought her tongue along Judy’s sex. Judy gasped out and immediately found purchase within V’s soft locks. V sent shockwaves through Judy’s body with each brushing pass of her tongue over Judy’s clit. Judy’s toes crinkled and unfurled as she tried to comprehend the pleasure coursing through her body, her legs writhed left and right. With every second she desired more,  _ needed _ more. Her motions began to reflect the base hunger that surged through her as she began to grind back into V’s waiting maw.

Judy’s rut continued until she felt herself reach the tipping point, and her entire body flexed and ached as she came unraveled, her hips arching up, seeking every single ounce of pressure possible against V’s deft tongue. V eased Judy through her through her orgasm, letting her partner use her almost as a toy, letting her grind and push against her as her body convulsed. 

Soon after, Judy began to relax and collapsed back onto the mattress. Beads of sweat lined her body, slowly rising and falling to the tune of her slowing breath. She brought a hand and swept it through the hair that had begun sticking to her forehead. She looked down to a smiling V.

“I will never get tired of seeing that,” V cooed, running a hand along her messy jawline, wiping it dry, before crawling up Judy’s exhausted body and looking her in the eyes. Judy bridged the distance and immediately pressed her lips against V’s. The two embraced for what felt like hours, allowing the emotional high last for as long as possible until their kiss became slow and methodical. Judy accented their embrace as she caught V’s bottom lip in her teeth, before slowly moving away. V let out a small whimper, attempting to follow Judy’s retreat, but she was pushed back up by Judy’s hand. 

“Time for the birthday girl to get some love, hmm?” Judy smirked. With a smooth motion, she rotated them both so that Judy was on top. “I think you’re a little overdressed,” she smirked. Judy began by stripping V’s shirt, and gave her left nipple a small love bite before traversing down to her skintight pants. 

“What have we here,” Judy cooed as she pressed a hand against the prominent bulge of V’s cock, aching against the straining fabric, “it feels so angry~”

“It’s cause you were such a tease today,” V gasped, thinking back to the sneaky flashes and glancing touches Judy subjected her to throughout the day.

“Revenge for this morning,” Judy replied smoothly. But now was no time for prolonged torture, they both knew what they needed. Judy deftly unzipped V’s jeans, and helped her shimmy out of their tight embrace. 

V’s cock stood rigid at attention, pulsing with need and want. Normally Judy would like to have spent a good while making V desperate for her before finally giving in, but neither of them could stand to wait a single second more. Judy carefully straddled V’s hip and aligned her cock before making her descent. Both exhaled deep, low growls as Judy sheathed herself to the hilt.

V’s hands began to roam across Judy’s hips, letting her fingers squeeze down and grab, making slow pushes and pulls that sent electricity through her cock. Judy gently collapsed on V and took her lips against hers once more. Together they maintained a slow and steady grind, their passionate kiss only to be interrupted by sudden moans and gasps of pleasure, as each brought the other closer and closer to the edge.

With each slow thrust, they began to get increasingly impatient, as each began to feel the edge draw near. V’s hips became less and less disciplined and Judy responded in turn. Their rhythm became disjointed and out of sync, fueled by sheer desperation, until Judy pushed down one last time and came undone. She gasped and her entire body tensed up, bringing V along with her. Together they unraveled, sweeping each other in their arms and bracing themselves through the electricity that seemed to pass through each others’ bodies. Judy moans were muffled in the crook of V’s neck as V deposited her seed with short but powerful thrusts. 

They remained in each other's embrace, their skin flushed red and their hearts racing. V could not help the tears that formed in her eyes. Before she could blink or swipe them away, Judy noticed and looked down with worry. V closed her eyes and shook her head with a smile on her face, understanding the worry in Judy’s eyes. “I’m okay, Judy. I just fucking love you, is all.”

Judy let out a silent laugh, a light-hearted exhale of relief, “I love you, V,” she said, before leaning down once more to press her lips against V’s. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Countdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of an author's note: italicized sentences, when not used for emphasis, are going to refer to either thoughts or memories.

The gentle glow of neon red fought against the encroaching abyss of the deep. It felt dreamlike, in a way, to have everything suspended in place, weightless, drifting through the sea. Here it wasn’t just her body drifting aimlessly through the water, it felt like the weight crushing her very soul began to lift, she felt as if she could finally breathe free. 

But the depths were also a bit disorienting - it was difficult to make heads and tails of direction or speed down here. The only thing V had for reference was the figure in front of her, illuminated by the twin headlamps attached to her diving suit. She was V’s rock, her guiding hand through the unknown, the abyss.

“I wish Evie could’ve seen this,” Judy said as she looked to the towering church before them, it’s darkened silhouette like a leviathan

Evelyn’s name caught V’s breath. She felt the blood drain from her face. Her pulse quickened. Her pupils dilated. 

_Evelyn’s bruised and beaten body, lying in the middle of the room._

V sought breath after breath in frantic hyperventilation but nothing came. No air would sate her lung’s desire.

_Her body lying in the tub._

Judy turned in curiosity to find V flailing in the water. V tugged and grabbed at her throat as if she were trying to free herself from a vice wrapped around her neck. “V?” began in confusion before she realized something was seriously wrong, “V!” she shouted. 

_Judy..._

Her lungs were on fire, as if they contained a dozen lit matches. She felt paralyzed by her visions. 

“No, no, _NO,_ ” she heard Judy’s desperate voice becoming increasingly frantic, “Stay with me V.”

Judy made a dash over to V to hold her steady, but V didn’t even react to her presence. The sounds around her became murky, like the bass of a concert bleeding through cement wall. All she could see was Judy’s frantic display. It consumed her.

“V! She pleaded, “Not you too,” her voice was a cry to the gods, to anyone who would listen, “I can’t lose you too V. I can’t do it again. _Please, Valerie. Stay with me._ ” 

And then nothing.

V awoke with a shock. The snug embrace of her blanket that had been so welcoming before now acted like a vice trapping her in its confines. With one motion she stripped the blanket off and to the side. Her shirt clung to her form, caked with sweat. She tried to gasp for air but nothing would come, as if she were being strangled, like water had seeped into her lungs. She made a mad dash for the sink.

With a grotesque retch, she purged herself into the sink. But before she was done, she began to violently cough into her hand. Her throat burned with each hack until she was left breathless, in a sort of daze staring down at the sink below. Blood stained her hand and seeped down into the sink below. With the blockage free, V finally took her first breath. It came like fire, as the air traveled through her roughened throat to fill her aching lungs. 

V collapsed onto her forearms that shakily held her upright. Her breathing was rapid and shaky, with each labored breath feeling like daggers dragged along her throat. 

She glanced up into the mirror. Her eyes were lidded, dark circles present underneath. Her skin was flushed. V was hardly able to keep herself stable. She could feel her faculties, both physical and mental, slipping from her grasp.

 _“Walking talking corpses,”_ she began to hear, a faint echo in a fading mind. The dread began to seep through her once more. The unshakeable feeling of inevitability, forever present in the back of V’s thoughts, once more resurfacing. How many times had she faced death at this point? Deshawn, Mikoshi. And now she’d have to die once more? 

But this time the stakes were different. It wasn’t just about the loss of her own life anymore. It wasn’t about becoming the legend of Night City and going out in spectacular fashion. She had a family. She had _Judy._ She would have to leave Judy behind. 

_“Fuck, V. I was so worried. I saw what was happening on the news and you weren’t getting back to me and-”_

_“I know, Judy,” V cut her off, switching off the car radio’s live coverage of the chaos at Arasaka tower, “I’m sorry. I’m okay. I’ll fill you when I get there, be home soon.”_

  
  


She couldn’t believe she almost did.

_The rhythmic drum of rain droplets bounced against the window. The diver on Judy’s wall glowed under the soft blue lighting, as if they were traveling down the ocean depths._

_“What happened in there? In this ‘Mikoshi’?” Judy took the cigarette out of V’s mouth and inhaled, “You still haven’t said anything about it.”_

_Judy’s eyes were filled with worry, and it killed V to see them so afraid. V closed her eyes and looked away, she didn’t think she even had the strength to tell her if she had to face the hurt._

_“Well,” V hesitated, her voice shaky and unsure, holding back tears, “Johnny’s out. But uh,” her breath hitched, “I guess my brain isn’t mine anymore. I only got about 6 months left.”_

_“F-fuck,” Judy stuttered, her breath caught in her throat. She took a deep inhale from her cigarette, “Fuck, V. You sure?” Judy’s voice was weak, a shadow of its usual strength._

_“No, but that’s what Alt said.” V looked down to what she feared - tears streamed down Judy’s face._

_“Is there -” Judy began, “there has to be something you can do.” Judy pleaded more than affirmed._

_V looked away and wiped the tears from her eyes. “V?” Judy croaked._

_“The Aldecados have some contacts that might be able to help, but...” V paused and let the silence linger. She still hadn’t come to grips with it herself, “I was called a ticking time bomb by Alt Cunningham. The AI who instantaneously fried everyone in Arasaka tower.”_

_The silence was suffocating._

_“I’m sorry, Jude.” V’s voice was withered, stripped away by the knowledge that Judy would have to go through yet more loss. That Night City would claim everything that she held close._

_Judy wiped the tears from her eyes, “You don’t worry about me, okay? We’re gonna try every last option on this earth before we give up.” Her voice was more assured, as if she were trying to convince V that it would all be okay._

_Or maybe she was trying to convince herself._

_“And no matter what, V, I will be here with you ‘till the end.”_

_With that, V began openly weeping, seeking out Judy’s breast to curl into. Judy lovingly wrapped her arms around V and brought her close as she whispered sweet comforts. Each muffled cry sent daggers through Judy’s heart._

_“I can’t do it again, Judy. I’m so tired.”_

_V’s cracked voice pained Judy. But even though it felt like Judy’s own world was crumbling apart around her, she had to be strong for V, “You can, and you will.” Judy gave herself a few moments to steel herself, “You have a family. You have me. We will be there every single step of the way. You don’t need to go through this alone anymore.”_

_V remained silent, through Judy’s soothings and touches, before finally sitting up. “I think I need a smoke,” almost as faint as a whisper. Judy nodded and retrieved another stick from her pack and held it out for V. She captured the cigarette between her lips and held still as Judy set it alight. She took several draws before she was sated._

_“Can I tell you something?” V asked hesitantly._

_Judy blew a puff of smoke into the air and turned to her, her cheeks puffy and eyes still bloodshot, “Shoot, V.”_

_“After I left Arasaka, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jackie. About his funeral. About Mama Welles and Misty and Vik. About how I’d never see that goofy smile anymore.” V took another draw before continuing. “Then I thought about my own funeral, and saw you standing over my body, just like Evelyn. Part of me just, I don’t know, wanted to run off to die on my own and spare you the grief of another loved one dying. Make you hate me instead.”_

_Judy reached over and grabbed one of V’s nipples, squeezed, and twisted. V squeaked out in shock. “Fuckin’ gonk,” she said, icily, before letting go, “I’d have hunted you down and killed you myself.”_

_“I don’t doubt it,” V chuckled and took another draw, gently massaging away the pain with her fingers. “Intrusive thought, I guess. In my defence, I went from thinking I was dead meat to actually having some real hope to then have it all stripped away. My state of mind wasn’t exactly in the best place. Sorry, Jude.”_

_“Don’t apologize,” Judy softened her tone, her eyes becoming more sympathetic, “I can’t even begin to understand what that must feel like.” Judy took one long draw from her cigarette and let out a slow cloud of smoke._

_“Just promise me one thing, V?” Judy’s voice became calm, but serious, “no matter what happens, no matter where this trail leads, we do this together, okay?”_

_V nodded, “Together.”_

V felt as if she’d radiated every bit of heat away from her body. Her muscles ached, her throat was on fire, and she couldn’t stop the ceaseless shivers that wracked her body. 

She flinched as she felt something brush along her shoulder, but settled into the touch once she looked up and saw Judy’s reflection in the mirror. V tried a smile of assurance but the smeared blood along her lips wasn’t terribly convincing. Judy leaned her head against V’s back, as if to hug her from behind without being too constricting. “C’mon,” Judy cooed, “can I draw you up a warm bath?” 

V’s voice was hoarse, rough with exhaustion and fatigue, “Yeah, thanks Jude.” V felt enough strength to start cleaning out the sink and whipping the blood from her hands. She had to shake the memories that cropped up.

_Jackie’s blood._

“What time is it?” V croaked, splashing cold water over her tired eyes. 

“Just a bit before 5,” Judy cooed. 

The sound of rushing water filled their cozy home. They didn’t have a water heater, but they at least had some running water. The Aldecados had set up in a ghost town much like Rocky Ridge about an hour outside Tuscon while they established a basis of communication with their contacts in the city. Most of the old-timers stuck with their own tents that they peppered around town, while Judy and V were more than happy to claim a cozy house off the main street. 

“Let me go heat up some water,” V said, feeling silly she’s not being useful.

“You’ll do no such thing,” Judy tutted her teeth. “You stay put.”

Judy held V’s hand to help guide her down onto the ledge of the tub. With V safe, she made her way over to the kitchen and grabbed the tea kettle out of the cupboard. Judy filled it with water then placed it on the stove, turning it on. 

While she was waiting for the kettle to reach boiling, Judy returned to their bedroom and picked out a plush blanket. She returned to the bathroom to see V stripped down, sitting on the edge of the tub. She was hunched over, shivering. Goosebumps lined her arms. When Judy entered, V looked up to her. Judy saw it in her eyes, how much everything was getting to her. To see the uncertainty and fear looking back at her made Judy’s heart drop in that moment. V looked so small, so vulnerable.

V shook her head, “It’ll just get dirty,” V muttered, gesturing to the blanket in Judy’s arms. 

“Hush, you,” Judy sidled up beside her and wrapped it around V. Despite her protests, V quickly grabbed the edges and brought them close. Judy kept an arm around V and leant her head on V’s shoulders. They didn’t say anything, they didn’t need to. They sat in silence until the gentle whine of steam began to fill the air. 

“Don’t go anywhere,” Judy tried to joke, before making her way to the kitchen to grab the boiling kettle. Judy carefully picked up the whistling pot and brought it back to warm up the cool water. Judy kneeled besides V and began to pour. The splash of pouring water and clouds of steam filled the air as she emptied its contents into the bath. Judy tested the temperature of the water with prodding fingertips, then plunged her hand in to stir and distribute the heat. 

“I think we’re all set,” Judy said as she shook off her dripping hand. Judy began to shuck off her sweatpants and shirt. “How’d you like to do it?”

“Can you hold me?” V whispered. Judy felt her heart drop. 

“Por supuesto, calabacita” Judy soothed as she tried to keep her own voice steady. As difficult as it was to see the woman she loved so vulnerable and hurt, she had to be the emotional rock V had been for her. Judy shed her underwear and dipped her toes in before fully submerging herself. Judy let herself enjoy the comfortable warmth for a moment before making room for V to get in. 

V quickly followed suit, tossing the blanket in the laundry pile before dipping herself in the bath, being careful to take her time. Her arms shook with fatigue as she lowered herself down.

She sought Judy’s outstretched arms and sank back into their embrace. V clung to the arms wrapped around her as if she were never to let go again. Judy sat herself out of the water more so that V could snuggle into her without her head dipping below the water level. Judy’s breasts became dotted with goosebumps as they became exposed to the cooler air. 

“This is the second time this week, Jude,” V shook in Judy’s grasp. 

“I know,” Judy sighed. They both understood the rising frequency of the attacks. 

“I’m scared,” V squeaked, almost a whisper.

“Fuck,” Judy mouthed to herself to herself, as if viscerally reacting to the pain laced in V’s voice crack. _Fuck this was hard_ . “I know,” she tried to calm her shaking voice, “But hey, we meet with Mitch’s contact tomorrow. Your fate isn’t written in stone here. Remember that feeling in Vik’s clinic when he broke the news that the relic was killing you? You had no hope of surviving. Every single lead went bust. But you managed to survive V, because you’re one of a kind. I _know_ we’ll find something.”

“Maybe. I’m just… tired, Jude. I’ve been dying for how long now? It feels like I’m just... prolonging the inevitable. Like I’m… stretching myself thin.” 

Judy placed a kiss on the top of V’s head, “I know, hun. But the important thing is that now you’re not alone. You don’t need to be strong anymore, we’re all here to help you.”

V allowed Judy’s words to sink in before she tightened her grip on Judy’s forearm, “I don’t like to think of where I’d be without you, Judy.” 

“Good thing I’m stickin’ around then, hm?” Judy leaned in to V’s ears and whispered, “can’t get rid of me that easy~”

V let out a small chuckle, “I love ya, y’gonk.”

“I love you too.” 

***

“What was he like?”

V stared off aimlessly into the valley below, idly massaging her forearm. Her legs dangled down the small cliffside. The sky bled deep reds and purples as it prepared the way for the sun’s arrival. Clouds caught and mixed the colors to produce vibrant displays.

“V?” Judy repeated.

V’s name caught her ear and brought her out of her reverie. She turned to Judy, a light blush of embarrassment creeping up on her cheeks.

“What was he like?” Judy repeated, motioning down to the spot on V’s forearm that she was palming over - a tattoo that said “Johnny + V” inside of a heart. 

V followed Judy’s gaze and recognized what she was getting at. She reflexively moved her hand away from the tattoo, as if she hadn’t realized she’d even been so sentimental about it. She was still rather bitter about that night.

“He was…” V paused in reflection. She still hadn’t come to terms with… everything. She still caught herself thinking out to Johnny, only to get nothing but silence in return. 

“You would’ve hated him,” V said with a short laugh, “he was one massive prick. But at the same time, I miss the guy.” 

V sought out Judy’s hand and Judy received it readily. Judy remained quiet, letting V have the floor to continue when she was ready.

“He did end up liking you though,” V glanced over to Judy with a smirk, “even with the whole diving business. I guess he was thalassophobic.”

“And we kinda proved him right with that eh,” Judy aired.

“Think it rubbed off on me too after that,” V tried to smile, but the thought of returning back to those depths made her palms feel clammy and cold. She could feel the familiar tightened around her throat return, like a phantom grip threatening to squeeze the life out of her. 

“Sorry if you had any plans to do some more diving with me,” V chuckled in a morbid laugh, “Guess I’ll have to stick to experiencing the BDs that _you_ scroll, so I don’t have to feel the anxiety going out myself. For now, I guess.”

Judy brought V’s hand up to her lips and placed a lingering kiss, “You go at your own pace, V. Even if that means you never step foot in the water again, or even watch a BD. Don’t ever feel like you need to push yourself past your limits for me.”

“Yeah… thanks, Judy.” 

The silence returned once more as the tips of the sun’s rays began to clip over the horizon. The valley was basked in royal shades, a mixture of vibrant colors and long cast shadows. 

“It feels weird that he’s not poking around in my head anymore,” V said solemnly. 

“Was he always around or…?” Judy floated.

“I think so, to some extent. Even when I’d take my blockers I guess he’d still experience everything. Just… we wouldn’t be able to communicate.” 

V thought a moment before continuing, “I’m assuming it’s similar to the night I got this,” she waved around her tattooed arm, “little present from Johnny. The first time I gave him control of my body,” V’s voice turned icy. “I had to watch that trainwreck of a night unfurl before my eyes and have absolutely 0 control over it.” 

V sat still for a few moments. She had never really ever had the chance to vent out to anybody about Johnny, the good or the bad. Her entire life until recently was foot on the chooh, just trying to stay alive. No time for reflection.

“But,” V’s voice began to quiver, “I still think he was a good person. Underneath it all. Think in the end he recognized how badly he fucked up his old friendships, hell, even fucked it up with me.” 

“Aww did you fix the bad boy up?” Judy giggled.

V couldn’t hold back a smile and playfully elbowed Judy in the arm. “I guess it’s more that we rubbed off on each other, over time.” V looked over to Judy with a cheeky look, “And before you ask, no, I did not take on his delusions of grandeur. Did start smoking again though.”

“Guess you and me got that in common,” Judy replied with a single huff. 

V held the silence for a while, collecting her thoughts. “But I am glad we took out Mikoshi. Not just for Johnny, it was the right thing to do. And I have him to thank for getting me to come around.”

“I’ll mark your relationship as ‘It’s complicated’ eh?” Judy leaned her head on V’s shoulder. 

“I think,” V started, “when all of this is over… y’know, if we pump the brakes on me dying… I’d like to return to Night City and do a proper send off.” 

“Then I guess we better focus on not dying then,” Judy replied. 

The pair winced and squinted their eyes as the sun finally crested into the sky. Its radiance began to creep down their bodies and chase away the chills of the desert morning. Judy’s familiar hum was a welcome addition, and V leaned her cheek on Judy’s head and basked in the moment. She would make sure to cherish every single moment, because sooner or later, she knew she wouldn’t be able to. 

And then she heard that familiar voice ring through her head as if he never left, “ _Happy endings? Wrong city. Wrong people.”_


	3. The Calm

Panam was never one for being able to hide her emotions, and the attempted smile betrayed by the rest of her cringing features gave testament to it. Cassidy, on the other hand, looked upon V with amusement. 

“Yeah, uh,” V started with an awkward cough, “guess the rockerboy part of Johnny didn’t overwrite my brain yet.” She stared down at Cassidy’s borrowed guitar with a tinge of blush on her cheeks before handing it back to him. 

“Well anytime you want to start learnin’, give me a holler,” Cassidy said with amusement as he set the guitar in his lap and plucked away at an idling tune. 

V smiled in appreciation and turned to Panam, “So, what’s the plan for tomorrow anyhow?”

Panam leaned forward, the fire in her eyes sparking. “We’re meeting up with a contact of ours that’s worked with us and other Aldecado families in the past - Bryce Bane. We’ve used Bryce as our point of contact for operations in the Tucson area in the past - we figure it’s a good idea to help get general intel as well as see how we can help solve your problem.”

V nodded along, “And we can trust this Bryce?” 

Panam scoffed, “Could you trust Rogue?” 

V grimaced in recognition. “Only after convincing her a 50 year old terrorist from her glory days was trapped inside my head.”

“So unless you got another cyberpsycho inside your noggin’, I wouldn’t get too friendly with them.” Panam could see the disappointment creep along V’s face - she was rather decent at hiding it, but the subtle quiver of the lip always gave her away. “But,” she resumed, “with all the gear we’ve gotten from the Arasaka raid, it’d be hard to say no to a fresh load of biz coming their way.” 

“Right…” V hesitated. “Okay. So - who, when, and where?”

Cassidy let out a chortle, “Mitch wasn’t kiddin’ about you city slickers.”

V smirked, giving her forehead a few taps, “I blame the ticking time bomb in my head.” 

Panam broke in, “We’re due to meet them around noon, on the western side of the city outskirts. Now, I don’t have reason to suspect they’ll pull anything, but it never hurts to come prepared. V, you’ll be accompanying me to the meet while Cassidy, Mitch, and Carol provide overwatch.”

“All eggs in one basket, hmm?” Carol interjected, sizing up the roster for this mission.

“More like this is our first meet with this city and I need to make sure we get off on the right foot. And that means no itchy or jumpy triggers. I know I can count on the vets for that.” Panam looked around the table to mixed reactions. “With that being said,” she continued, “I want to perform some reconnaissance of the area so we can set up 3 separate areas of vision around the meeting place. That means we’ll be setting out early tomorrow - around sunrise - to set up. 

“Mitch, V?” she gestured towards each respectively, “You two are going to drive out today and use the drone to do some recon. Note the terrain in the area and try to find overlooks that give a good view of the entire meeting sight as well as any paths to the area.”

V and Mitch made eye contact and nodded in agreement. “We’ll set out right away then,” Mitch said.

Panam smiled and nodded in affirmation, “Excellent. We’ll reconvene later tonight when you two return and go over the finer details.”

“Preem. Anything else?” V asked.

Panam shook her head, “Nope, that’s it. Just lemme know when you two get to the site.”

“Yes, mom,” V smirked, and Mitch failed to suppress his own smile. Panam shot her a deadpan look of annoyance. 

Mitch and V broke off and made their way over to the mechanics station. The Aldecados had set up shop in an abandoned warehouse of some sort - its floor had been picked clean so there hadn’t been much cleanup required at all. But now, it housed the mighty Basilisk, along with the plethora of other vehicle repair necessities.

Mitch pointed to one of the corners, “Drone case is over there. I’ll grab a couple battery cases just in case.”

“What for?” V asked.

“Well, never know if we might need to use the active camo when we get there. And if we do, I’d rather we be able to get a full scan of the area. Not cut corners, y’know?”

“Good thinking,” V said with a huff as she lifted the hefty clamshell in her arms.

Mitch made his way back over, battery packs slung around his shoulder, and together they set off to their ride. 

“How well do you know this Bryce?” V asked.

“As well as you know any fixer in Night City, really.” Mitch responded with a gruff. He was set to leave it at that, but looked over to V’s expectant face. “We didn’t have a particularly contentious past, it’s just been quite a while, and well... we’re runnin’ blind right now. A lot can change in 3 years.” 

V felt the gnawing of doubt creep back into her mind, despite her best efforts to keep it suppressed. The last thing she needed right now was to fall into despair before they even tried their first option. But even the existence of those lingering thoughts sent worry through her, every setback felt so severe and her mental health so weak, like fractured porcelain held in place by glue. A vace drifting through the air in slow motion, desperate for someone to catch her before she reaches the harsh and unyielding floor below.

Mitch seemed to be able to read the apprehension of V’s face, “But hey, we worked with some great techies back in Tucson. If they don’t know what to do, then they sure know someone who will.” 

A shaky smile formed on her face, but hopeful words did little to soothe her anxiety. But she didn’t have much time to ruminate over her thoughts as they pulled up to Mitch’s ride. They took turns loading their equipment onto the bed before climbing inside the cabin.

“Alright then, let’s get this started,” Mitch stated with finality. 

** 

V slung the canteen over her shoulder and let it rattle to the floor with a clank. She whinged at the sharp sound but was far too tired to react. It felt as if her entire body had a layer of dirt, like a second layer of skin. Yet all in all, it had been a very uneventful day, and she liked it that way. Though, she couldn’t say the same thing for tomorrow, whatever that would hold. V had been used to working with fixers in the past, but this time it was different. She wasn’t some solo anymore, money and fame the only thing on the mind. She was part of a family once more, her clan. When things went wrong,  _ everybody _ had to suffer the consequences for it, whether physical or emotional. She had everyone else to think about. She had - 

_ Judy _ . V smiled as she saw the soft hue of blue light bleed through the cracks of the garage door. She shrugged off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack, pausing as she flexed and stretched her stiff limbs. In a similar fashion she shuffled off the boots from her feet.

V made her way over to the garage to poke her head in, but stayed silent as she saw Judy sitting in her desk chair, BD wreath wrapped around her head. But something caught V’s eye - many things, really. Judy’s hands clenched the armrests of her editing chair, her thighs pressed together as her legs writhed small motions back and forth. Her chest rose up and down with deep breaths, and the skin visible from the cut of her shirt was painted a deep blush.

V was about to raise an eyebrow in concern, but was interrupted by a soft mew that escaped Judy’s lips, followed by a much lower moan. V chuckled in response,  _ Couldn’t wait for me it seems _ , she thought to herself. Deciding it wasn’t the best for her to interrupt Judy’s alone time while filthy, V made her way to the bathroom to wash away what she imagined were kilograms of sand and dirt from her body.

Of the few comforts she had gotten used to in Night City, hot water would have been one of the highest. The Bakkers had raised her through the traditional nomad lifestyle, but clearly she had softened up in a few ways. Shivers shot down her back as the cold water began rushing over her body, washing away the caked dirt and leaving goosebumps behind. 

V was meticulous when it came to cleaning, especially with her cybernetic implants. She gave extra care to clean the creases and ports of her mantis blades. She had never had a problem with them so far, and she planned to keep it that way. It had been a recurring fear of hers that some mechanism would fail her when she needed them most - whether they failed to open properly, or extended on their own without command. In those moments she could almost hear Panam rage at her tombstone for being stupid enough to let something like routine maintenance lead to her downfall.

Just as she finished rinsing the suds from her hair, she heard the bathroom door open and close. She turned her head to see Judy rolling her panties down her legs, bra already discarded on the floor. Without a word, Judy climbed inside and pressed V against the shower wall, capturing her lips with her own. Her hands betrayed her neediness as they traveled along V’s skin and down to her ass, roughly taking hold of each cheek. V yelped in surprise at the onslaught, but quickly gave in. V’s hands, momentarily idle, found new life as they began to roam up along Judy’s curves, coming to rest upon her cheeks. 

Judy paused and broke away, leaving both of them panting for breath. They looked into each others’ eyes, lidded and wanting. “Didn’t hear you come home,” Judy breathed.

“Didn’t want to interrupt your fun,” V smirked, “plus, I felt gross.” 

Judy’s hands began shifting, creeping around V’s front, “Probably woulda jumped your bones anyways.” 

V’s response was cut short by her own sharp exhale as Judy ran a hand along her hardening shaft. Judy bit her own lip in smug satisfaction as she felt V’s desire manifest within her grasp, before leaning back in, breathing warmth on chilled skin, and taking V’s lip between her teeth. The two came together once more as their lips interlocked, broken apart only through momentary calls for air or teasing bites. Judy’s hand began tender strokes, back and forth, along V’s length. Judy couldn’t help the butterflies that poured through her as she felt V’s hips begin to thrust ever so slightly - signs of a woman too pent up for her own good.

But Judy also felt that need, and it was quickly tended to. V’s curious hands traveled downwards until they reached Judy’s waiting sex. Her fingers teased along Judy’s entrance, lightly brushing over her clitoris. Judy flexed under her touch, her thirst finally given life. But V, not one to tease at the moment, deftly inserted two fingers and began to give slow, languid thrusts. A flare of pride rushed through V as Judy began to push into her grasp, grinding her clit against the palm of V’s hand. 

Each needy thrust and flex spurred the other on, as they fed off each other's need and want, pressing into each other, grasping, thrusting, their pace increasing with every shaky breath. Their kiss became sloppy and unfocused, disrupted through their descent into pleasure. The drone of the shower head and the cool of the pouring water faded into the back of their minds - all that mattered was their touch. 

Judy hovered over V’s lips, to whisper, “V-” as if but a gasp. V closed the distance once more and captured Judy’s lips as she came undone beneath her. Shivers radiated through Judy’s body as V’s fingers coaxed her through her orgasm. V’s free hand brought Judy closer, pressing her against V’s body for support as she came. Judy broke their kiss and slumped her head into the crook of V’s neck, her moans becoming muffled. 

But her comedown didn’t slow Judy’s pace - if anything, it increased her fervor. As she regained her footing, Judy changed tactics. Instead, she focused along V’s erogenous zones, kissing and leaving love marks along V’s jaw and neck to below her ear, stroking to the tune of the heady thrusts that met her hand. 

V was holding on, prolonging her suffering, until she heard Judy plead, “Please V -” and she came undone. With each stroke V shivered, her hips spasmed unpredictably and unpracticed, almost fucking the hand wrapped around her throbbing length. Each release brought haughty gasps that sent fire through Judy. 

With one final languid squeeze, V nigh collapsed on top of Judy. “Woah there,” Judy helped lean V back against the shower wall.

V returned the smile, albeit weary, before leaning in to give Judy one last kiss, “Couldn’t stop thinking about this all day.”

“My my, what a pervert~” Judy floated.

V snorted, “Says the one sending me nudes mid-op,”

“Details V, details,” Judy reached for the soap once more. “Think we need to get cleaned back up, hmm?” 

“And then we go straight to bed,” V concluded.

“Right.  _ Bed.”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning on this chapter being like x2 the length but I felt bad that the update was taking so long! Hopefully the next chapter will release within the week <3


	4. The Forecast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V and Panam meet with Bryce Bane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: I changed my AO3 name over to "gwynposting" for anyone who may be confused.

The life-sustaining scent of coffee finally entered her lungs - the one thing her body craved more than her newfound nicotine addiction. Its sultry aroma always fooled her into thinking she’d soon be filling her stomach with anything other than the bargain brand coffee grounds she’d manage to scrounge. The sound of the coffee machine at work, the aroma that filled the air - to her sleep-addled mind it was almost hypnotic. More than once had she been shaken out of said daze by the rather rude beeping of the coffee machine, signaling its completion. 

But today broke the usual trend, in a strange way, the wait made her anxious. Her mind still felt foggy and clouded, but the rest of her body was on edge. The heel of her foot bounced up and down as she leaned against the counter, her teeth caught her lip and picked at the skin. 

She had no idea why she was so antsy. She had worked with the most ruthless fixers Night City had to offer, clashed with dangerous gangers that lined every street corner. She robbed Arasaka.  _ Twice. _

_ In fairness, I died both times,  _ she thought to herself, letting out a morbid chuckle. She was far too tired and far too unwilling to think into the deeper implications of what that could possibly mean. But before she could even shake the thoughts away, her attention was captured by the familiar beeping from the coffee machine.

_ Finally _ , she thought to herself, a weary smile upon her face. 

She pushed herself from the counter and made her way over to the fridge. The fridge only kept the essentials - a small container of synthmilk for coffee and two cases of beer. She swiped the container and unscrewed the cap, pouring a splash in both of the cups set out on the counter, before closing it up and storing it back away. V then gingerly removed the pot of coffee and began to pour, first Judy’s cup then hers. 

V took a cup in either hand and made her way to Judy’s workstation, the blue glow bleeding between the door’s cracks once more. As she opened the door, she found another familiar sight - Judy’s legs were perched on her desk, her left over her right. The braindance wreath was wrapped around her head, her editing glove was active, and she performed gestures left and right as if a conductor guiding an orchestra. 

And in her own way, she was. She was the maestro of the sights, the sounds, the emotions that were displayed before her. Her deft hands weaved tracks together, enhancing and diminishing the highs and lows of her performance, her art. Her craftsmanship had made not only V, but countless others, feel sensations otherwise thought unimaginable. 

V took a step forward and set out the coffee before Judy. At first Judy didn’t seem to notice, neither the sound nor peripherals breaking her out of her work, but as soon as the aroma reached her - 

Judy snapped her eyes to the cup, with steam rising high against the desert morning cool. She then turned her attention left, and smiled in recognition. Her eyes were bloodshot, and dark creases had formed underneath. “Just what I needed,” she said with a gravelly voice. She brought the wreath down from her head, resting it around her neck. With a smooth motion she removed the editor from her hand and gingerly placed it on the table. Then with eager hands, she reached out and brought the steaming mug close, deeply inhaling, before taking a ginger sip.

“Thanks babe,” she cooed, beginning to feel a part of her life restored as the warmth crept down her stomach and through the rest of her body. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” V asked, taking a sip from her own cup, before taking a seat on the couch that faced Judy. 

Judy shook her head, “Barely got an hour or two. Around midnight I was gettin’ restless in bed but I didn’t want to wake you up. Big day and whatnot. Need you rested and alert.” Her tenor wavered against the rough undertones of exhaustion. 

V nodded her head in understanding, “It’ll be okay, Jude.” 

Both of them knew she had no way to know that for certain, but neither wanted to give more life to the doubts that constantly gnawed away every hour of every day. Judy opted to join V instead, grabbing the blanket on the opposite side of the couch and draping it over their laps. Judy fell into V’s embrace, a hand around her shoulder and her face resting on V’s side. 

“Can I tell you somethin’ kinda dumb?” Judy broke the silence.

“You decide to follow your lifelong dream of joining Maelstrom?” 

“Pssh. No, y’gonk.” Judy tried a chuckle but was either too tired or too preoccupied with the thoughts already clouding her mind. “Honestly what scares me... is the finding out part. If you know what I mean,” her hands fidgeted around her mug, “Finality.” 

“Like no longer being able to tell yourself there’ll be a way out of it all?” V cut in. 

“Yeah,” Judy almost whispered, “It’s like… up until this point there was an ‘at least now we can sorta pretend it’ll all be okay’ kind of feeling.”

“Almost like blissful ignorance, in a way.” V rested her cheek atop Judy’s head. 

“But once all this is over, V, promise me one thing?”

“Anything,” V said without a single doubt in her breath. 

“Let’s take a vacation. Just the two of us. Cross country. Actually  _ live  _ for a little.”

It took V a little by surprise, the concept almost felt foreign to her. No stress, just living. Living with Judy. Tears began to form in her eyes, and she found it hard to even speak. 

“V?” Judy asked concerned, if not a bit anxious, pushing back to look up to V’s quivering lip. 

V looked down to Judy’s worried face and blinked away tears, sending them to stream down her blushed cheeks. “I want that so fucking much, Jude.”

“Then promise me.”

“Yes,” was all V could muster. 

***

“I’ve never seen you like this,” Panam turned over to V. The loud thrum of her Thorton dampened Panam’s voice, mixed with the sound of air rustling past their cabin. 

V stopped fidgeting with the hair that had begun growing in on the buzzed part of her undercut and turned to Panam, “Like what?”

Panam turned deadpan, “Don’t insult me. You know what I mean.” 

V blushed, giving Panam a knowing look. But she couldn’t hold a candle to the fierce gaze that met her eyes. Instead, she opted for looking out the window, gazing to the vast empty desert beyond. Her knee began rising and falling rapidly. 

“A week ago you were the most annoyingly upbeat person in camp. A big improvement from the brooding silent V, mind you, but at least I knew  _ that _ V was straight-edge. Are you gonna be okay for this? 

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. It’s just…” V couldn’t find the right thoughts.

“It’s different now, isn’t it?” Panam finally said with understanding. 

V finally found the courage to look back over, she nodded her head. 

“I’ll do everything in my power to help you, V”

V nodded an appreciative smile, but returned her gaze out to the desert beyond.  _ That’s what I’m afraid of. _

***

With a slam shut of the heavy Thorton doors, V was introduced to the harsh light of the Arizona sun, bearing down with an intensity only rivaled by Mama Welles after getting into a scrap with the local gangs.

There they were - Bryce Bane - donned in a tight white corposuit, accented with a wide-brim sun hat. They sat cross legged, sipping from a rather large cup that seemed filled with 90% ice, waiting at the lone table in the middle of the abandoned wasteland. In the distance, worn down factories littered the foreground of several tall buildings. In a way, the sight reminded V of Night City. While downtown Tucson couldn’t match the sheer might of Night City, the vast web of interconnected skywalks that ran between the towers gave her a sense of familiarity. 

Bryce was accompanied by two guards, one with a wide frame and rippling muscles, and the other slender, clad in a jumpsuit typical for netrunners. V and Panam approached the table side by side. 

“Can’t say I expected to be meeting you here, but I suppose much changes in three years, does it not?” a teasing tone called out to the Panam. “And to meet a dead man walking, now  _ that _ is something new.” 

Panam and V stood before Bryce uneasy, already pushed off their game. 

Bryce rolled their eyes, “Sit, sit.” They motioned for the pair to take a seat at the lonesome table. A small umbrella did its best to shield them from the desert rays, but it was clear from its condition that it had seen one summer sun too many.

“Not gonna lie Panam, you’re bringing hot shit to my doorstep. Saul’s off who knows where and you bring Arasaka’s most wanted on my doorstep?” 

V flinched at the mention of Saul’s name and kept her eyes shut for a moment. Panam’s eyes flared with rage before they settled on sadness. “Saul’s dead.”

Bryce nodded in affirmation, “I see. Arasaka?” Their gaze shifted to V, remaining steely. But they knew the answer the second the words left their lips. The pair remained silent under her gaze. Not one to linger, she asked a different question, “Why have you come here, Panam?”

Panam composed herself before continuing, “We need to get in touch with some old friends of ours in the city, and I know you’re the person to ask.”

“Well you are certainly correct on that - the problem is I don’t know how that concerns me?”

_ “Excuse me?” _ Panam’s voice dropped with frustration. 

“You’ve dropped back into my radar with what I assume are dozens of the most wanted people in the NUSA  _ accompanied _ by the merc who killed Saburo Arasaka.”

V pinched the brow of her forehead in frustration, “I never. Killed. Saburo. I keep telling this to people and yet-” 

“I don’t care if you didn’t actually kill him. I care what everyone else thinks. Two thieves in Konpeki the night Saburo is zeroed? You gave them a perfect scapegoat.”

Through clenched teeth, V started, “Gee. I’ll remember that for next time.” 

Panam cut through the conversation, “You and I both know the corpos don’t know Aldecado from Snake from Raffen. They don’t care to find out either. All I hope is that they focus most of their attention on the remaining Wraiths in the area now that we’ve up and gone.” 

Bryce smirked, finally enjoying the game being set in motion, “but who’s to stop big bad ‘Saka from tumbling through poor old Tucson? If they wanted to they could probably make it all through the Western states before the NUSA made any significant fuss about it.” 

Panam rolled her eyes. “What do you want?” 

“My, quite the presumptive one are we?” They took a sip from their drink, shuddering as the cool liquid radiated through their body. They paused for a moment. “You’ve recently acquired weapons - it just so happens that I need some. For use in your protection from Arasaka, I assure you.” 

Panam deadpanned, “Cut the shit, I’m not giving you anything.”

“Now now, who said anything about gifts? Fair pay for quality goods,” they splayed a hand against their chest and produced a look of mock indignation, “I’m anything but a cheat.” 

Panam shifted from side to side. “Fine. But you’ll come to us, we’re not bringing them out here.”

“Tsk tsk,” they tutted, “don’t trust me hmm?” Only to be met with an annoyed glare from Panam and a slightly confused look from V. With a sigh, they drawled on, “So boring… fine. I do believe you mentioned something about contacts?” 

Panam motioned over to V. “We need to get in touch with a techie - Sammy Trevalo. Last time we met was in Tucson but I know he roamed up to Phoenix occasionally as well. Former Storm Tech rat, ended up burned because he was skimming secrets to Nomad groups.” 

Something at the name perked Bryce’s eyebrow in interest. “Sammy hmm? What could you possibly need that old dog for?” 

“Not your business.” Panam instantly shut down.

Bryce scoffed and rolled their eyes, “All biz with you nomads, jeesh. What else am I supposed to gossip about in this wasteland.” They eyed Panam and V until they realized neither were budging, before continuing with an exaggerated moan of frustration, “Fine, I know where to find your techie-” they let it hang.

Panam pinched her brow, “...How much?”

“Why free of course, what a better way to celebrate our new partnership in arms trading than a show of appreciation.” Bryce smiled a bit too brightly. 

V’s mind flashed back to her and Takemura’s meeting with Wakako Okado. The ronin’s words echoed through her head,  _ “What is free often proves most costly.” _

“What’s the catch?” V broke through.

Bryce leaned forward, “Multiple layers of reinforced concrete and steel stand between you and him.”

“And you want us to get him for you,” V groaned in understanding. 

Bryce shrugged with a smile, “He’s usually a rather resourceful lad, but it seems his luck ran out. Got raided by Phoenix PD and they found an assortment of stolen corpo implants… among other things. Now he’s locked up, and I don’t have the time to wait for his release nor do I want to take the risk he doesn’t survive his full sentence.”

“So you want us to break him out of a  _ prison.”  _ V deadpanned.  _ Fully automatic guards, turrets, most likely a netrunner. You’d think if these cities put a fraction of their policing budget into solving the root cause, then - _

“Don’t be silly. Sammy is currently being housed in a high-security prison, but seeing as it's filled to the brim, good ol’ Sam will be getting a transferral to something more low-security. And before you go thinking that it’s better for him, think more along the lines of stuffing fish in a barrel.” 

“So we’re aiming to hit the transport?” V questioned.

“Precisely.” Bryce nodded with a smirk. 

“Then what’re we talkin’ here, AV?” She looked over to Panam who returned the same look, hesitation.

Instead they were met with rather undignified chortling, “For a group of meatbags like them? The city would never waste money on the fuel. No, they’ll be transported by bus.”

“Now  _ that’s _ more my style,” Panam smiled. 

V chuckled, “What, didn’t want to take down another city’s power grid?” She turned back to Bryce. “How do you already know all this anyhow?

“I’ve been planning Sammy’s breakout since he got himself locked up. I’m the one who managed to get him on the transfer list afterall.”

“Seems like you have all your ducks in a row then,” V paused, “the question is, why bother with us then?”

Bryce huffed, “Well for starters, I’m not paying you with eddies. Call it a mutual relationship - we both need Sammy - I provide the intel you provide the muscle. Second? I’m not going to pass up using a gang of veteran convoy raiders the exact time I need a convoy raided.”

Before V could pull Panam aside to mull it over, Panam jumps at the opportunity. “Deal.” 

Bryce’s eyes widen for a brief moment in surprise, clearly expecting much more of a fight, “Wonderful, love. How about I come by tomorrow and we can hash through the details then.”

“Roger. I’ll flick you the geoloc to our camp.”

“Sounds lovely, darling. Though, I do hope you have some amenities set up,” they fanned out their nails for inspection, “I must say this heat can get rather dreadful.” 

Panam rolled her eyes, “Afraid you might be disappointed.” 

Bryce emitted a dramatic sigh before clicking their feet together and standing up. “Tomorrow then.” They paused for a moment as they looked up to the sun that bore down on them, “...evening.”

“Tomorrow,” V and Panam said in unison. 

With that, Bryce was off, tailed by their two guards. 

As Bryce’s SUV drove off, back into the city, V let out a deep breath of relief, accented with a hint of trepidation. “A fucking prison break. Of course.” She said to Panam. 

“Don’t like it either, V,” Panam admitted, “but they do have one thing right about us.” V tilted her head, “We’re the best damn convoy jockeys this side of the NUSA. Or do I need to remind you of the time we  _ stole a tank?” _

V tried to put a smile on, but it wavered into more of an unconvinced grimace. Panam wrapped an arm around V and shook her affectionately, “Let’s save the doom and gloom for  _ after _ we find out what this heist will turn into, eh?”

“Right…” V nodded.

“And listen, V.” Panam waited until V turned towards her, “Even if it stinks to high heaven, we’re here for you.”

“That’s the part I’m worried about,” V’s voice was more steady now. 

“How many times do we need to go over this V?” Panam’s fiery tone was returning once more, “We knew the risks going into Arasaka, we did it anyways.” 

Panam let the silence hang but was only met with V’s unconvinced face, “And V, that raid saved this family. We were destined to either sell our souls to Biotechnica or be slowly stripped apart by Raffen Shiv. The gear we looted from ‘saka will last us  _ years  _ V.  _ Years. _ And when we do need to eventually find work again? The Aldecados will be etched into every fixer’s brain across the NUSA. Though,” she chuckled for a moment, “Perhaps the name ‘V’ might pop up there first. Word down the grapevine said you were a near legend already before hitting Arasaka tower. Good thing you’re with us then,” she nudged V’s arm.” 

“What’re you trying to say, Panam?” V felt almost exhausted.

“I’m saying that this family owes you, V, whether you think it or not. You act as if we’ve never lost members during raids before. Hell, you should know from your days in the Bakkers, V. This is survival, and you were up there leading the charge the entire time.”

V wavered, now unsure. “Maybe…” only receiving an eye roll in response from Panam. 

“So brooding my god. C’mon,” Panam stood up and offered a hand out to V, who readily accepted the help, “Let’s hit the road.”

***

The ride back wasn’t the smoothest. Decades of neglect combined with the intense weather patterns that passed over the Southwest had worn down Arizona’s infrastructure to the nub. Luckily, Panam’s Thornton was as good as trucks came when it came to suspension. But even with some of the world’s best shock absorption, V was cursing with frustration with each mistyped letter on her holo. 

_ “Heya, evwrything wnt ok, we’re headed back.”  _ she messaged to Judy, too annoyed to go back and fix her mistakes.

Judy’s reply was immediate, _ “Don’t drink and drive *and* text, V ;P” _

_ “>:(“ _ V responded, her face the complete opposite of the text, a wide grin on her face, before following up,  _ “Shit roads. Half dirt at this point.” _

Judy’s response was prompt once more,  _ “Learn anything from the meet?” _

V paused for a moment, deciding whether or not she wanted to have this conversation in person or over text. She drafted up a rather short reply,  _ “Good and bad, I’ll let you know more when we get back,”  _ but shook her head and erased the text. Last thing she wanted Judy to do was worry unnecessarily. 

_ “We know where to find the guy Panam was talking about. Problem is he’s locked up. I’ll explain it more when we get back to camp.” _

_ “Oh jeesh. Well, at least we got something to go off of.” _

Judy followed it up with another text.  _ “By the way, dinner tonight smells absolutely delicious. Some sorta synthbeef stew. Living downwind of the mess hall is both tantalizing and agonizing.” _

_ “I’ll tell Panam to step on it. Be home within the hour! :3”  _ V texted back. 

_ “See you soon~ <3”  _

Now that her thoughts were elsewhere, suddenly V didn’t seem to mind the road too much. She looked over to Panam, who glanced back with a raised eyebrow, knowing smirk along her face. “Whaat?” Panam could almost hear the smile in her words.

“Nothing.” Panam said with a chuckle, retraining her eyes back on the road, “I’m glad you finally have someone, V.” 

V’s goofy-ass grin shifted into something more soft, more appreciative, “I think I’m finally happy, Panam.” V paused for a moment before continuing, a bit more somber, “I just want it to last…”

“Hey now, none of that. It  _ will _ last. So keep your mind on the good, last thing we need’s a gloomy-assed merc on a convoy hijack.” Panam certainly had a way with words. 

“How ‘bout a gloomy-assed Aldecado?” V grinned.

Panam only rolled her eyes in response, but was unable to fight down the smile that crept up on her face.

***

The mess hall was organized chaos. The room was filled with Aldecados lining up every which way for the day’s dinner, funneling in and around one another as people tried to both reach the food and their seats at the same time. Judy stuck to V like glue as they made their way to the old school cafeteria bench tables. They picked a spot away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd and sat on opposite sides. 

V tore into her stew as if she’d not eaten for days. Judy couldn’t help but giggle to herself as she slowly worked through hers, savoring every morsel. Warmth crept upon V’s cheeks as she noticed Judy looking at her with playful judgement. 

With a hearty sigh, V placed down the now empty bowl with naught a lick of broth remaining. Another Aldecado strolled by the table, fresh pot of coffee in hand, and refilled both of their cups to the brim. They both nodded in appreciation as their server set off to fill the mugs of other caffeine-hungry Aldecados. 

“So,” Judy broke the silence, bringing the cup up to her lips and breathing in the aroma before taking a sip, “you had good news then?”

“Sort of,” V shrugged, “It mostly depends on the info the fixer brings us.” 

“Difference between smooth sailin’ and uhh, what did you call it, V?…” she snapped her fingers as she tried to recollect.

“A turd wrapped in crepe paper?” V smirked.

“Exaaactly.”

“Essentially, yeah. Apparently Panam’s contact is locked in prison, but he’s set to be transported to another facility pretty soon. The fixer is giving us the detes on the convoy and we’re supposed to hit it.”

“Wooh,” Judy grimaced, “sounds risky then.”

“Potentially, yeah. I’m as blind as you are about the info at this point, though. Fixer’ll come by tomorrow to fill us in.”

“Any way you think I can help?” 

“Can’t know if you don’t tag along yourself tomorrow~” V floated over. Her foot had found her way to Judy’s calf and had begun brushing along its length.

Judy made a face of hesitation, “Would that be like… okay?” 

V reached out and took one of Judy’s hands in her own, “You’re part of this family too, Judy. Of course it’d be okay.” 

Judy blushed and looked to the side, “I guess I just sometimes feel a bit… disconnected, y’know. Like I’m looking from the outside in.”

V tilted her head in confusion, “I thought you were getting along with everyone just fine? I know Panam’s taking a liking to you too.” 

“It’s not that, it’s just...” Judy paused for a moment, trying to mull over her thoughts. “You got into the Aldecados by proving yourself to them, saving their hides left and right. I just sorta showed up.” 

“I think I get that,” V nodded her head in understanding, “for what it’s worth, if I’m an Aldecado, it’s because you helped me get there. Pretty sure I woulda fallen apart in Night City without you.” 

V paused, but saw Judy wasn’t convinced. “Not everybody needs to take on a Raffen camp solo or steal a tank to become a member of the family, Jude. If that were the case, the Aldecados would fade into dust. As a wise chica once told me, ‘it’s what you bring that counts.’” V began to stroke the top of Judy’s hand with her thumb, “You make it seem like you haven’t been THE go-to braindance techie of the camp.” 

“Pssh, usin’ my gonk-ass words against me is cheating. Still though, I wanna help, if I can.”

“Of course, Jude, we’d all love to have you there.”

And just for a moment, the hustle and bustle of the cafeteria faded into the backs of their minds. The background of chattering Aldecados, the clinks of metal silverware and the distant shouting from the cooks were mere afterthoughts as they held each other’s presence. All they knew was each other. 

But ever increasingly, Judy’s mind became more and more pre-occupied by the annoying tease of a foot brushing up and down her calf. And of course, V’s smirk showed she full-well knew what she was doing to her.

“Home?” Judy breathed, perhaps a little too desperately.

“Thought you’d never ask.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Terribly sorry for such a late chapter addition. This is what I'd call the real "start to the story" so I wanted to make sure I had everything all planned out. Additionally, if anyone would be interested in Beta'ing, I'd be incredibly appreciative. Hit me up through my tumblr if you're interested~
> 
> gwynposting.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a mix of plot and smut chapters, so stay tuned for future updates~


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